Save me from Myself
by Cody Thomas
Summary: This is the inspiration I received when Yugi was captured by Dartz in Yami's place. Poor Yugi!


Read it, enjoy it, this is my appology for not updating 'Walk with me in Starlight' for so long. It will be up as soon as I can finish it.

It's so cold…it hurts. I'm trapped and all alone. Please, someone, get me out of this place. I can feel him slowly eating my power, devouring my very soul. Yami, please where are you? Don't you care? Yami it hurts so much, I can't take this much longer, save me soon, or there may not be anything left!

"He doesn't care about you child. He never did. You were only his vessel to be worn like a cheap coat and cast off just as quickly. Now he's rid of you, letting you become trapped in the darkness where not even he can hear your pleas for help, free to wear your face and body without anyone trying to stop his evil rampage."

"You're lying, Yami will come for me." "

"You saw for yourself how he relished the power the seal gave to him didn't you? He's still using it you know, risking himself every time. See how little your sacrifice meant to him?"

"Yami wouldn't do that. That card altered his mind with its evil, you will never get his power!"

"You are all the power of his I need and he knows it. Just another puny sacrifice that he tosses under his feet like garbage. His two greatest allies he betrayed at the first show of gaining power, you and your deck. Winning the game was all that ever mattered to him. If he cared so much about you then where is he? It has been weeks and he still doesn't come. Where is the mighty Pharaoh when you actually have need of HIM and not the other way around? A thousand miles away and getting ever further from you."

"I won't believe your tricks, Yami would never betray me, and he will come!"

"Perhaps the Pharaoh you once knew wouldn't, but he's no longer that person. I heard you, begging him not to play for power, to not invoke the seal. He had several options, but took the swiftest path to victory instead, not caring as your soul was ripped away. He may come eventually to keep up appearances, but by then you will be gone."

"Yami…No…"

The feeding has begun again. The feeling of ice and acid pours through my blood as my life force is taken away and given to this monster. I'm beginning to become transparent, he's right, Yami won't be able to reach me before I'm gone.

"NOOOOOOO!"

The pain lasts an eternity before I'm dropped to the ground.

"You don't deserve the Pharaoh's punishment, you are a pure soul, incapable of even so much as an evil thought. You could stop him you know, stop his murderous rampage, he has to listen to you, you rule him!"

"I…I won't give in to you!"

"I'm not trying to make you give in to anything innocent, simply offering you a way out. You could control all the power of the Oricalcos and the pain would stop immediately. I could give you strength beyond your imagination, so you could stand tall among your friends without having to rely on or hide behind a deceiving, power hungry dictator."

"Noooo! Stop it!"

The feeding, again. I can barely breathe, my body is barely a wisp of smoke. I'm so scared, I remember dying before, I can tell that it is happening again. I don't want to die, Yami PLEASE!

"I can stop the pain innocent, a few more moments and you will be dead and your Pharaoh will not have saved you. But I can. Say the word innocent, say it and you will live. I have never lied to you Yugi, but he has, say the word and I promise you will be free."

/Don't give in he's lying, Yami will come for us!/

/We're out of time, face facts, you're going to die./

/I don't want to die!/

The pain, it's too much, I'm slipping away! I don't want to die, I don't want to die!

"I don't want to die!"

The pain stops, just like Darts said it would.

"Then live. Accept what I am offering you Yugi. Take the seal."

"Alright…you win."

I can barely move but I feel him help me to my feet.

"No Yugi, you win, and champions don't lie in the dirt, they stand tall and proud."

His arms are warm and gentle, why does he have to be gentle? Yami, I'm sorry…I'm not as strong as you…

"You are stronger than that Pharaoh who betrayed you Yugi, and he will never walk on you again. Now accept your reward my champion." His lips are soft as they touch my forehead. A searing heat races across my flesh, driving me to my knees. Oh gods what have I done?! Yami please I beg of you, save me from myself! Thought is gone suddenly, no pain, no fear, the power of the Oricalcos flows through every cell of my being. Master Darts extends his hand and I kiss his fingers.

"Excellent. Your only assignment is to capture the soul of the Pharaoh and bring him to me. He escaped his punishment once, he will not do it again. No more sacrifices, no more pain. Defeat him Yugi, Defeat him and free the world from his treachery and lies!"

"As you command Master Darts."

He places a shard of the Oricalcos stone around my neck and hands me the seal of Oricalcos to add to my deck.

"You'll need these my champion, to bring the pharaoh to his knees!"

He hands me a deck of cards, I know these cards, they are my deck!

"Every last card you owned before he stole them from you, except the Eye of Tamias. Even Exodia has been restored to you. Try them out."

"But the seal…"

"Responds to the evil in a persons heart, try it, see if I am wrong."

"Dark Magician!"

He appears before me and he does have the seal, but he looks the same, kind and noble, not evil like when Yami summoned him. He smiles at me. I remember how Yami betrayed their trust…I won't let it happen again.

"Thank you Master."

I return the card to my deck and my friend disappears.

"You are welcome Yugi, now go, bring me the soul of the Pharaoh."

"At once."

I leave the room and I meet Alastair and Raphael.

"Welcome to the team kid."

"Yeah, make yourself at home."

"Not yet, I have to…"

"We know, but it's well past midnight, and you need some rest and food. We both are heading out in the morning and you can come to, besides you don't even know where the Pharaoh is!"

"Yes I do."

"You do?"

"We are linked, I can find him anywhere, if I wished to I could speak to him this very moment."

They look at me, stunned.

"Well that talent's going to come in handy. Come on kid, I'll show you your room."

I'm led down a long hallway and to a door about halfway along it.

"You use your favorite card to access the room, there's some food inside as well. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The Dark Magician opens the lock and a warm comfortable room is waiting inside. I lay down on the bed, still fully dressed and curl under the covers.

YUGI!

I bolt upright at the voice, until I realize it is Yami who is screaming my name across our bond. I relax and lay back against the pillows.

/Hello Pharaoh./

Yugi?! What have they done to you? Are you alright?

/I'm just fine, no thanks to you./

Where are they keeping you?

/I'm with friends here Pharaoh, true friends who listen to me and don't break my heart or my trust, people who won't betray me for power or sacrifice my soul to win a game!/

Aibou…I

/Save it, _Yami_, because I'll never trust you again! Prepare yourself, I'm coming for you Pharaoh, my Master wants your soul and he shall have it!/

I block off the link with a single thought. The pain in my soul burns, it's tearing me apart… "Dark Magician!" The form of my friend appears beside the bed, his eyes are filled with kindness and sorrow, wordlessly he sits down and embraces me as my tears begin to flow. How could Yami do this to me, to us? I begged him not to use the seal, it's his own fault now… "I'll destroy you Pharaoh, just like you destroyed me!" My heart is screaming. In tears I fall asleep. I hate him so much, but my soul still loves him, still needs him in order to survive. This will be the hardest battle I've ever fought, but I know all of the Pharaoh's strategies by heart, he will fall, I will win, but will my soul survive when I do? A treacherous thought crosses our mind link right before I succumb to dreams.

/Beloved, please, save me from myself!/

I will Aibou, I will never fail you again I swear it!

Tomorrow I will find him and claim his soul, but for this one night I will love him still and let him shield me in my dreams, even though I know we will never be the same again…

A/N: Please push the button and review my short little inspiration from last weeks' episode. I'd really appreciate it.


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